College Basketball Betting Picks for Friday 1/12/24

The college basketball season always provides a flurry of twists and turns that few saw coming -- especially when March Madness comes around. This can make college basketball one of the most challenging sports to bet on.

Fortunately, we have plenty of tools available that can aid our chances of taking the most favorable college basketball bets. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and select some of the best bets of the day by utilizing the mentioned tools.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

College Basketball Best Bets

DePaul at Villanova

Villanova -19.5 (-110)

We've got a Big East showdown tonight with the DePaul Blue Demons (3-12) taking on the Villanova Wildcats (10-5).

These teams went up against each other just three weeks ago, and the results for the Blue Demons weren't pretty. Villanova stomped their way to victory, routing DePaul by a score of 84-48.

The Wildcats shot an above-average 53.5% from the field in this matchup, while the Blue Demons shot a below-average 30.4%. Perhaps we will see the gap between these markers close in tonight, stopping Nova short of a 36-point win. But make no mistake, Villanova is a much better team than DePaul and should have no problem taking care of business.

According to Bart Torvik, Villanova has the 32nd-best power rating (percentage-based chance of beating the average D1 team), while DePaul ranks 278th in this regard.

DePaul has played five teams (including Villanova) that rank in the top 50 of Bart Torvik's power rating. They went 0-5 in these games, losing by an average margin of 27.0 points.

Villanova, meanwhile, has gone up against three teams (including DePaul) that sit in the bottom 100 of Bart Torvik's power ratings. They went 3-0 in these games, winning by an average margin of 29.7 points.

Nova has grabbed impressive victories against nationally-ranked teams such as the Creighton Bluejays and North Carolina Tar Heels, whereas DePaul's three wins this season have come against teams with losing records.

Further, the Blue Demons are the only team in the Big East that has yet to win a conference game. Not only have they struggled to an 0-4 conference record, but they lost these games by an average margin of 23.5 points. DePaul is consistently getting pummeled by teams with any bite, and it's clear that the Wildcats are in a different stratosphere than them.

Justin Moore (13.3 points per game) has missed extended time for Villanova but could make a return to action tonight. While his return would give the Wildcats a boost, this team had no problem sailing to victory against DePaul sans Moore. I'll side with a Wildcat cover.

Dayton at Duquesne

Dayton Moneyline (-102)

A matchup between the Dayton Flyers (12-2) and Duquesne Dukes (9-5) will pit the top of the A-10 standings against the bottom. Dayton is 2-0 within the Atlantic 10, while Duquesne comes into tonight with an 0-2 conference record.

Up until this point, Flyer fans couldn't have asked for a better first half of play from their program. Dayton has won nine straight games, and their two losses this season have come against reputable teams, the Northwestern Wildcats and Houston Cougars.

Duquesne has had a fairly commendable season, as well, but they've dropped three of their last four games and have noted trouble competing within the A-10.

Bart Torvik's power ratings have Dayton ranked 33rd and Duquesne falling behind in the 88th spot. KenPom has these teams situated even further apart, with Dayton boasting the 31st-best adjusted efficiency margin and Duquesne coming in with the 101st-best.

The Dukes are allowing 69.2 points per game (125th-fewest), while Dayton allows just 64.7 points per game (36th-fewest). And Duquesne hasn't gone up against many booming offenses. A matchup against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who tout the 27th-best adjusted offensive efficiency rank, led to the Dukes surrendering 89 points in a loss. They'll have a lot cut out for them against Dayton, who is rocking with the seventh-best adjusted offensive efficiency rank.

The status of Dayton guard Kobe Elvis (11.0 points per game) is unknown as of this writing. He left Sunday's game with an injury, and though there's hope for him to suit up tonight, we can't rely on him to be in the starting lineup just yet. Dayton doesn't have a whole ton of depth, so they will be affected if Elvis is out. But even still, they have three scorers who put up more points per game than Elvis.

Plus, Dayton managed a 64-60 victory against a conference foe, the Massachusetts Minutemen, without Elvis on Sunday. And just last week, Duquesne lost a matchup against UMass by a score of 80-61.

I believe that Dayton is, pound for pound, the better team and has proven that they should be favored against A-10 opponents. I'll side with them to get a win on the road tonight as the ever so slight underdogs.

Looking for more college basketball betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming college basketball odds.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.